Real Madrid will face Girona in LaLiga seeking to return to winning ways after two consecutive defeats.
The match follows a surprise loss to Mallorca in the Spanish league and a defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Militao Returns to the Starting Lineup
Real Madrid’s manager Álvaro Arbeloa is making seven changes to the team that started against Bayern. Éder Militao is one of the notable inclusions in the starting eleven.
Militao played a few minutes against Mallorca after being out for 14 matches. He then came on as a substitute against Bayern.
Arbeloa praised Militao, saying, “When he is well, he is surely the best centre-back in the world. Physically he is a dominant player, in one-on-one situations, he defends a lot of space in open field, he has a very powerful aerial game, a great ball exit, his mentality, his character, the commanding voice… There is no doubt about the importance for the group. It is a privilege to have a player like that.”
Militao’s inclusion means Antonio Rüdiger will be rested for the upcoming European match. The focus for Real Madrid is on the match at the Allianz Arena.
Injury Updates for Real Madrid
Thibaut Courtois, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo Goes are still out injured for Real Madrid.
Girona’s Recent Form
Girona, who are in the middle of the table, are coming into the match after a win against Villarreal. The winning goal was an own goal by Pau Navarro.
Predicted Lineups
- Real Madrid: Andriy Lunin; Dani Carvajal, Éder Militao, Raúl Asencio, Fran García; Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga; Brahim Díaz, Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Jr.
- Girona: Paulo Gazzaniga; Martínez Arnau, Vitor Reis, Francés, Alexandre Moreno Lopera; Viktor Tsygankov, Lemar, Axel Witsel, Iván Martín, Echeverri; Ounahi.
Match Details
The match will be played at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.
The match can be viewed on ESPN Deportes in the USA and SkySports in Mexico.
Past results between the two teams:
- Girona 1-1 Real Madrid: LaLiga, November 2025
- Real Madrid 2-0 Girona: LaLiga, February 2025
- Girona 0-3 Real Madrid: LaLiga, December 2024
- Real Madrid 4-0 Girona, LaLiga, February 2024
- Girona 0-3 Real Madrid, LaLiga, September 2023
Real Madrid will be hoping that Militao’s return can help solidify their defence as they aim to get back to winning ways before their Champions League match.